Push-button switch



S. BRANTINGSON PUSH-BUTTON SWITCH Sept. N, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 50, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

5IGURD BRANTlNGSON BY P l Sept. 11, 1951 s. BRANTINGSON PUSH-BUTTONSWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 50, 1947 SIGURD BRANTINGSON INVENTOR.

BY Paul ATM Patented Sept. 11, 1951 PUSH-BUTTON SWITCH SigurdBrantingson, Maplewood, N. J., assignor of one-half to Bruno Martinuzzi,New York,

Application January 30, 1947, Serial No. 725,293

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a push button switch which may be easilyfoundand operated in dimly lighted places and where subdued lightingmakes the push button switch difficult to locate. Among the objects andpurposes are the following:

One object is to provide a raised push button having a relativelylongcontact surface for the operator as compared with the usual roundbutton.

Another object is to provide an elongated housing of modern designhaving an elongated push operator which may be easily found and operatedby pressure applied at any point throughout its length and which may beeasily found in dimly lighted places, or in the dark.

Still another object is to provide a construction which is best suitable.forcmass production, thereby resulting in a high quality product at amoderate price.

An object also is to provide a. substantially elongated push switchoperator on which pressure may be applied at any point between theextremities yet without tilting or causing the operator to become jammedunder bad operating conditions such as when heat and dust would causefriction or where dampness would cause rust, electrolysis, or corrosionto slidable parts.

An object is to provide an elongated operator which is so related to thespring for retracting it that each end of the operator travelssubstantially an equal distance even though not guided and when one endonly of the operatoris pressed. This object is co-related to anotherobject in which a spring is capable of suspending the operator againstits end stops and is also the means of contacting the terminals tocomplete an electric circuit through. the spring.

Another object is to provide an attractive push operated switch forelectric circuits securable from the outside, to the wall or the like,and which covers the wiring and securing screws without an escutcheonplate.

I accomplish these and other objects by the construction herein setforth and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this,my disclosure.

In the drawings, the various views and figures are designated asfollows:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of my device, with the finishingcovers in position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section substantially at the center line.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view in which the contacts and cover plate areremoved.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the contacts and cover plate.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the contacts and cover plate.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation. andv partial section of the push switchoperator.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the ends without thefinishing cover.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail of the base showing one of theluminous members attached.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the luminous operator, the spring andthe contacts, the normal position being. shown by the heavy lines andthe contact position being shown by the light broken lines.

Push buttons, or push button electric switches are of many designs andsizes. I have herein described my spring, retracted type having anelongated modern designedpush operator, such as used in the home andoflice for chimes and cathedral. gongs. v

My push button or push operated switch has an elongated luminousoperator, any part of which may be pressed to complete an electriccircuit. It may be mounted at the side of a door or in a dimly lightedpart of the structure, as both the housing and operator have luminousparts. My ush operator switch is also used and in keeping with theelegant surroundings, of a parlor, for example, where an ordinary pushbutton would be out of place.

The size and-shape of the operator, as well as the mounting areconvenient for easy operation without the necessity of finding the spoton which to press the finger; any part of the hand may be used. If thefinger is used, its touch at any part of the operator, even at either ofits extreme ends, will not cause it to become jammed or cooked out ofline, the action. of. which is important and is accomplished by simplemeans as will be better understood after a study of the constructionmore particularly set forth in. the specifications.

In the specifications and. in the drawings to which reference is made, Ihave shownapreferred embodiment in precise detail so that the construction may be better understood by one skilled in the art to which myinvention pertains.

The preciseness of the drawings and the. pre ciseness of thespecifications are not intended to limit the scope of my invention, asset forth in the appended claims. It is expected that after a study ofthis, my disclosure, modifications may suggest themselves and may be,made without departing from the principles which underline my invention.The construction of my preferred embodiment may be followed in thespecifications.

Referring to the" drawings, similar reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in these specifications.My press operated switch or push button for completing electric circuitscomprises a frame or housing I which is provided with the elongatedouter opening 2 for the operator 3 which is free to move when presseduntil stopped by making contact and completing the electrical circuit.

The opening and the conforming operator are substantially longer inshape along the longitudinal axis or between the ends 4 and 5 than atany other point transversely between the ends. Each end of the operatoris provided with a spring bearing at 6 and l which extends beyond theend of the opening to provide end stops 8 and 9 which engage the endwalls I and II of the opening 2 at I2 and I3 and which, together withthe side walls l4 of the opening, are formed by fianging the material ofthe housing inwardly around the opening.

The operator is normally held so that its face I is disposed slightlyabove the housing and is provided with the end walls I6 and I1 beyondwhich the spring bearings and stops extend and the side walls l8 and I8,which provide the spring compartment which receives and houses thecenter portion 2| of the spring 22.

The end portions 23 and 24 of the spring extend out of and beyond thecompartment 20 and beyond the spring bearings at 6 and I to restnormally on the inner face 25 of the base or cover plate 26 whichconforms to and is secured within the bottom recess 21 of the housing.

The base plate is provided with the contacts 28 and 29 which areelectrically connected to the terminals 30 and 3| to which thewires 32and 33 connect the source of electric current to the device it operates.The source of electric current may be a battery or generator and a bellor signal of many well known types, such as are commonly used inconnection with push operated switches or push buttons or for any otherpurpose where a switch of this type is suitable. The electric wiresattached to the terminals and the parts of the switch may vary in sizeto suit the current whether alternating current or direct current. Theparticular circuit which is completed by the use of my switch is notbelieved to be of interest here since most any circuit may be employed.

The recess 21 in the bottom of the housing is of sufficient depth to notonly receive the base plate but also to provide room for the wires andterminal screws 34 and 35 which secure them.

The contacts are preferably formed by bending a portion of the flexiblecontact plates 35 and 31 upward from their top faces 38 and 39. Thebottom face 40 of each contact plate is held firmly against the innerface of the base plate by the hollow square rivets 42, the body of whichengages a corresponding square aperture in the base plate and is flaredand pressed to secure the contact plate to the base plate. The squareinternal hole through each hollow square rivet is tapped to receive theterminal screws which form a part of the terminal and receive the endsof the wires to the switch.

The top surface or inner face of the base plate is preferably providedwith two upwardly projecting studs 44 and 45, one engaging a conformingaperture in the contact plate 36 and the other engaging a conformingaperture in the contact plate 31.

The spring 22 is so constructed that the end portions 23 and 24 whichextend from the ends of the center coil portion are so disposed thatengagement is made with the contacts 28 and 29 upon depressing theoperator downwardly toward said contacts. The ends 46 of each endportion are formed into rubbing yielding contacts to provide a rest forthe spring and to prevent the spring from tipping over as it is incontinuous contact with the spring bearing at substantially thecenterline of the operator; the ends and the rest being substantiallyequally spaced at each side of the vertical longitudinal centerline ofboth the operator and also of the housing and other parts, such as thebase plate.

The disposition of the spring in substantially balancing the operator sothat it may freely move in the sides'of the opening of the housing isimportant because of eliminating friction against the sides which thusserve only as a keeper or limit to the action of the hand when notevenly pressed against the operator. The sides of the operator and thesides of the loosely conforming opening in the housing are not to beregarded as a guide for the operator which is perfectly balanced on theend portions of the spring.

The operator is also not dependent on any guide surface to prevent itfrom teetering even though pressure is applied on the extreme end of thesurface exposed for pressure by the hand or finger of the personoperating the switch; the bearing being still further out beyond the endof the operator and the spring rest much further away from a transversecenterline than either the bearing or the end of the exposed face of theoperator.

Parallelism in motion with regard to the housing in which the operatortravels is thus obtained without friction or guidance and cannottherefore become jammed or stuck even when my device is installed inhot, dry, or dusty places.

The base plate is preferably secured to the housing by the hollow rivets41 and 48 which pass through and are clinched over the upper surface ofthe housing end tables 49 and 50. The hollow centers provide a passagefor the attaching screws 5| and 52 which may attach my device to thewall or other surface when installed.

The heads of the screws 5| and 52 are covered by the finishing cover 53which is snapped over the housing and secured by the detents 54 whichengage the depressions 55 in the. sides of the housing.

At each end of the operator and projecting above the top tables 56 and51, I have provided the studs 58 and 59 which engage the conformingapertures in the luminous pieces 60 and SI which are not covered by thefinishing cover and thus provide a continuation or luminous extensionbeyond the luminous push operator which may be seen in the dark.

The contact plates are not only secured to base plate by the hollowrivets but also by the upwardly projecting studs spaced apart to preventthe parts from being loosened or separated by very rough usage.

The size of the parts and the details of construction may be modified inmany respects without departing from the principles underlying myinvention.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1- In a switch having an elongated housing and a base plate having apair of contacts connected by said switch and terminals electricallyconnected to said contacts and an elongated operator conforming looselyto and movable in an opening in said housing, a spring contact havingits extreme ends extending beyond the ends of said elongated operatorand said operator having bearings extending beyond the portion of saidoperator in said opening to engage and press said spring contactsimultaneously against each of said pair of contacts, said bearingsbeing spaced apart a greater distance than the length of said openingand said extreme ends of said spring contact being spaced apart agreater length than the distance between said bearings and seated beyondthe ends of the opening in said housing.

2. In a switch having an elongated housing and a base plate having apair of contacts connected by said switch and terminals electricallyconnected to said contacts and an elongated operator loosely to conformto and movable in an opening in said housing, spring bearings disposedto project beyond the ends of said operator and beyond the ends of saidopening, a spring having its end portions extending along the major aXisof and beyond the ends of said operator and beyond said spring bearingsand its contact portions between said ends, electrically connecting saidpair of contacts when pressed by said operator, whereby said springengages said contacts simultaneously and said operator is forced to movein parallelism by said spring hearings in one direction and by pressureon said operator, anywhere between its ends in the opposite direction.

3. In a switch having an elongated housing and a base plate having apair of electric contacts connected by said switch and terminalselectrically connected to said contacts and an elongated operatorconforming to and freely movable in an opening in said housing andhaving spring bearings extending beyond said opening and a spring havingends seated away from its center beyond said bearings, said springengaging said bearings between its ends and at points beyond the ends ofsaid opening to cause simultaneous contact between said contact portionof said spring and said pair of contacts, said bearings engaging saidhousing to stop said operator from outward movement.

SIG-URD BRANTINGSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 237,455 Swan Feb. 8, 18811,531,605 Gaynor Mar. 31, 1925 2,409,483 Gandelot Oct. 15, 19462,424,527 Whyte et a1 July 22, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date1,450 Great Britain of 1900

